Broken Republik

The compelling story of Germany’s decline – where it all went wrong and how it could bounce back.

Although a new government has been installed since this book was released, the authors nonetheless provides a deeply insightful and fresh view of the challenges Chancellor Friedrich Merz will need to overcome if he is to correct Germany’s trajectory

A splendid book by authors who long ago detected Germany’s fragility – and aimed at readers who take no pleasure in the sight of its precipitous decline

The best polemic yet … The book’s charge sheet is long and unforgiving [and they] prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail . The book is especially good on the country’s near-belle epoque levels of wealth inequality and social immobility

Reiter and Wilkes debunk several long-standing myths about Germany…the authors’ in-depth analysis digs deep into the crisis without being defamatory. The analysis of the German mentality is sure to provoke some readers. But that’s precisely where its strength lies: the authors avoid being easily categorised, which is often what stifles open-ended debates

After studying international relations and political philosophy in Washington and the U.K., Chris Reiter has worked as a journalist covering economics, politics and business news. For more than twenty years, he has been based in Berlin where he has chronicled Germany’s political and economic struggles. He is a senior editor for Bloomberg after previously reporting for Reuters and Dow Jones Newswire. While born and raised in the U.S., he learned to love Knödel, Leberkäse and Fußball from his German father.

Will Wilkes studied German and Italian in London and Rome. Now based in Frankfurt, he has spent his working life writing about Germany, travelling across the country to talk with politicians, executives, union leaders, and workers. From terrorism to economic crises to the resurgence of the far right, he has reported on the country's mounting challenges and fraying social cohesion. He is currently a reporter for Bloomberg and has previously written about Germany for Market News International and the Wall Street Journal . He appreciates Germany's rich music culture – less so the national aversion to queuing.